About
The State You’re In is a love letter to North Carolina, just written by somebody with questionable handwriting.
About Me
Since 2013, we’ve been traveling this state looking for the places, people, food, traditions and stories that make North Carolina feel like North Carolina. From barbecue joints and country stores to mountain towns, ferry rides, old buildings and things you probably drove past a hundred times without stopping.
We’re not here because somebody paid us to tell you a place is good. We go because we’re curious. We eat there, wander around, talk to folks and tell you what we find.
Sometimes it’s important. Sometimes it’s ridiculous. Most of the time it’s somewhere in between.
This is North Carolina as we know it, love it and occasionally have to explain it.
Top Articles By Me
6 Best North Carolina Steakhouses: Our Favorite Local Spots for a Great Steak
6 Best North Carolina Steakhouses: Our Favorite Local Spots for a Great Steak There’s more to a great steakhouse than a great steak. Of course, that’s
Hop’s Bar-B-Q Closing After More Than 70 Years in Asheboro, NC
Hop’s Bar-B-Q Closing After More Than 70 Years in Asheboro, NC In 1952, Hop’s Bar-B-Q opened its doors in Asheboro, North Carolina, and over the
Wanted: Pine State Creamery Signs, Clocks & Memorabilia | North Carolina Collector
Pine State Creamery Memorabilia Wanted: Help Preserve North Carolina Dairy History Calling all North Carolina history lovers and collectors.I’m on the hunt for Pine State
North Carolina’s Data Center Boom, Mapped Against the State’s Most Iconic Restaurant
The Biscuit Benchmark North Carolina has spent 50 years building 350 Bojangles. Big Tech is on pace to match that footprint in under a decade.
In Wendell, a New Cigar Lounge is Bringing Back the Art of Conversation
In Wendell, a New Cigar Lounge is Bringing Back the Art of Converstion This ain’t some big box cigar shop off the interstate with bargain
A Song, A Voice Memo, and a Few Borrowed Truths
A Song, A Voice Memo, and a Few Borrowed Truths Ever since we saw Justin Clyde Williams at B Chord Live a month ago, this
Southern Q Barbecue Opens in Louisburg, North Carolina Behind Tar Banks Brewing
Southern Q Barbecue Opens in Louisburg, North Carolina Behind Tar Banks Brewing Some folks spend their whole lives dreaming about the thing they wished they’d
At RibSational In Zebulon NC, Barbecue feels like a ministry.
Every now and then, you come across a place where something deeper is at work than what’s on the plate. One of those such places
A Church Steeple. Something taller than your troubles.
A Church Steeple. Something taller than your troubles. Before the coffee finishes dripping… Before the gravel crunches under Sunday shoes… Before the first note of
Carolina BBQ Festival Charlotte NC | BBQ for a Cause Supporting Operation BBQ Relief
In North Carolina, barbecue has never been just something to eat. Long before festivals had sponsors and city permits, smoke from a pit signaled that
Certified Slaps Map
The Certified Slaps Map highlights our favorite locally owned restaurants and true mom-and-pop food spots across North Carolina. From small-town diners and barbecue joints to
Red Simpson’s Legacy: Simp’s BBQ in Roper, NC
Just across the Albemarle Sound from Edenton, there once stood a small, unassuming BBQ joint that held a big place in the hearts of many.
Remembering Cherry’s BBQ & Seafood, Elm City’s Eastern NC BBQ Landmark
Just 20 minutes east of Wilson and deeper into Eastern North Carolina BBQ territory, there once sat a place that meant a whole lot to
Remember Holden’s Barbecue? Youngsville, NC’s Classic Whole Hog BBQ Spot.
Just outside Youngsville, North Carolina, there once stood a small, unassuming barbecue joint that held a big place in the hearts of a whole lot
Merry Christmas 2025 Playlist
Christmas Season Just Hit Play 🎄🎶 Our 2025 Christmas Playlist has officially landed! ❤️🎄 Whether you’re trimming the tree, baking sugar cookies, shopping at Roses,
Inside North Carolina’s Famous Giant Frying Pan: The Rose Hill Poultry Jubilee Icon
Rose Hill North Carolina is home to the world’s largest frying pan. And honestly, you kind of have to take their word for it, because
25 Best Christmas Light Displays in North Carolina
Add Your Heading Text Here It’s that time of year again — when neighborhoods start glowing, farms sparkle after dark, and small towns all across
86 Two Wheel. Long Live Heidi’s.
Seven months ago, after two decades in Smithfield, Heidi’s Two Wheel Café went quiet. No neon hum. No laughter echoing through the bar. Just silence
Our Top Picks for NC State Fair Food
It’s that glorious time of year again when the smell of funnel cake, smoked turkey legs, and fried-everything-you-can-think-of fills the Raleigh air — and we’re
If You Can Only Eat at One Place in Washington, NC: Why The Hackney Is a Must-Try Restaurant
A reminder that luxury, in the right hands, tastes like home. Have you ever stood in front of a refrigerator, the light humming, and somehow
Discover Sims Country BBQ: Live Music, Family Fun, and Old-School Barbecue in Granite Falls, NC
Barbecue, bluegrass, and four hours you’ll wish could last forever. A time when kids weren’t glued to their screens, but out on the floor laughing
Streak o’ Lean at the State Farmers Market: Raleigh’s Most Iconic Breakfast Bite
At the State Farmers Market Restaurant, streak-o’-lean isn’t just breakfast — it’s a taste of North Carolina heritage on a biscuit. They call it streak
Carolina Crossroads Amphitheater Reborn: Jamey Johnson Ignites Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina
Add Your Heading Text Here Something changes in a piece of dirt when people gather and music fills the air. Maybe it’s the bootprints left
Sid’s BBQ & Catering in Beulaville, North Carolina
Sid Blizzard, King Of Saturdays. 🐖 👑 Just on the southern edge of Beulaville, North Carolina—behind an unassuming brick house and a couple of feed
